TLDR;

Fremont Brewing has announced a special release for Memorial Day weekend.

Ride the Dragon is a blend of their barrel-aged hallmarks - B-Bomb and Dark Star. Here, it starts their Dark Star aged in Heaven Hill bourbon casks, while B-Bomb is aged in cinnamon vanilla whiskey casks. After, its blended and aged on toasted coconut and cinnamon bark.

It will be available for purchase on Saturday, the 23rd of May, at the brewery's two Seattle locations in Columbia City and Fremont neighborhoods.

For more information, including reactions, read the press release below.

Press Release

SEATTLE, WA – Fremont Brewing is summoning something rare for Memorial Day Weekend. On Saturday, May 23, 2026, the Seattle brewery will release Ride the Dragon, an exclusive barrel-aged blend available only at Fremont’s Urban Beer Garden locations in Fremont and Columbia City.

Ride the Dragon is a decadent fusion of two of Fremont’s most sought-after barrel-aged beers: Barrel-Aged Dark Star, an imperial oatmeal stout aged for more than two years in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, and B-Bomb, Fremont’s imperial winter ale aged for more than two years in cinnamon vanilla whiskey barrels. The final blend is conditioned on toasted coconut and cinnamon bark, creating a rich and layered beer built for slow sipping and special occasions.

Get ready to experience a deeply expressive barrel-aged release that balances dark chocolate, bourbon warmth, vanilla, cinnamon spice, toasted coconut, and oak with a velvety body and lingering finish.

“Ride the Dragon is one of those beers that only happens when patience, creativity, and great barrels come together at the right moment,” said Matt Lincoln, Director of Brewing Operations at Fremont Brewing. “Both Dark Star and B-Bomb have incredible depth on their own, but blending them together with toasted coconut and cinnamon bark creates something completely unique that is rich, complex, and immersive.”

Ride the Dragon continues Fremont Brewing’s long-standing tradition of pushing the boundaries of barrel-aged beer through blending, extended aging, and layered ingredient additions.

About Fremont Brewing

Fremont Brewing is an award-winning craft brewery founded in 2009 to brew small-batch artisan beers made with the best local ingredients. Fremont Brewing is known for its award-winning IPAs, barrel-aged beers , and non-alcoholic beers. Legions of fans have enjoyed the hospitality of the Urban Beer Garden locations in Fremont and Columbia City. Because Beer Matters!

TLDR;

Washington state’s Chuckanut Brewery from Burlington and Icicle Brewing from Leavenworth are happy to announce an upcoming release.

Brewed in March, the duo produced a Franconian-style Lager with notes of bready malt character and a soft hop finish. Clear, golden, and easy drinking, the beer is on draft and in cans at Chuckanut Brewery, with plans to celebrate the release officially on June 5th in Leavenworth at Icicle Brewing.

For more information, we have included the press release if you want to read more about it.

Press Release

Chuckanut Brewery invited Icicle Brewing to their Skagit Valley brewery back in March to collaborate on a lager. The two breweries decided to make a Franconian Lager style of beer for a June release. Collaborations are fun and informative for brewers as they get to talk about recipe development and share brewing processing ideas as well as catching up on life. Franconian Lager is a very creative beer capturing the essence of beers from the Franconian region of Germany (in the northern part of Bavaria). This particular lager rendition is brilliantly clear, golden and smooth with a bready malt character and a polite hop finish. A very refreshing crisp beer for drinking on its own or with food. Franconian Lager is on tap and in cans at Chuckanut Brewery's Tap Room but an official tapping will take place in Leavenworth at the Icicle Brewpub on June 5th, Friday at 5:30pm followed by live music at 6pm. Everyone is invited to enjoy this tapping event in the German style town of Leavenworth in the mountains outside Seattle!

Franconian Style Lager uses Bamberger Pilsner and Weyermann Barke Vienna malts. The hops are a combination of Spalt and Hersbrucker German hops. It's a fabulous beer to enjoy with any roast pork dishes or roasted root vegetables like carrots, beets, onions and parsnips. You will find it especially refreshing with any kind of bbq! Find it at the Chuckanut Tap Room in Skagit Valley or up in Leavenworth and the east side of the Cascades. Available in cans and on draft!

Chuckanut Brewery brews award winning Lagers and Ales and has won Large Brewery of the Year at WA Beer Awards 2017, 2019 and 2021 and Small Brewery at the GABF 2009 & 2011. The production facility and Tap Room is in Skagit Valley at 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington, WA. Chuckanut welcomes guests of all ages and has indoor and outdoor seating! Check out additional information about Chuckanut at chuckanutbrewery.com.

First announced on their Instagram, May 11th, the Hopvine Pub in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood has announced they need your support. Like so many businesses, not just in Seattle, but across this country, Hopvine Pub is coping with a diverse number of conflicts contributing to their daily, weekly, and monthly bottom line.

it starts with inflation, which has increased the cost of ingredients, which go into the sandwiches and pizzas that the pub, which the pub of over 30-years, uses. It continues with the cost of services, including utilities and cost of rent. Then there is the cost of labor.

Without getting into specific wages, Seattle's minimum wage is $21.30 before taxes and tips. Then there's the state's progressive annual increase to the minimum wage, which, according to Labor & Industries, states:

Beginning mid-September each year, L&I will make a cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The new minimum wage will be announced on Sept. 30, and take effect Jan. 1. -source, https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/

Finally, as reported by various hospitality and alcohol-producing industry analysts, many are no longer going out or drinking as much alcohol as previous generations.

Some of this stagnation in "going out" could be laid at the feet of the Federal Government, which has yet to increase the Federal Minimum Wage in over 17 years, which is presently $7.25 per hour. Or, it could be the side-effect of generations growing up in the shadow of a global pandemic. Or, it could be the fact that Seattle remains one of the most competitive cities for cost of living related to renting or owning a home. It doesn't help that the cost of gasoline and diesel has scaled a sheer cliff upward, in part because of the instability in the Strait of Hormuz.

Many of what has been told to you are some reasons why co-owner, Bob Brenlin, who also co-owns the Fiddler's Inn Pub and Latona Pub, is asking for you to support them.

How can you help?

Well, it starts by asking yourself a serious question: Are you ok with the pending closure of this three-decade-old institution?

If the answer is yes, then you close this story and move on with your day.

If the answer is no, then there are multiple ways you can support co-owners like Bob Brenlin, their staff, and the numerous musicians, breweries, cideries, and wineries. Let's not forget those who provide the ingredients to make the meals provided every day and night.

If you can afford to, revisit the 'Pub.

If you can't afford to visit, then consider donating to the 'Pub's GoFundme page, which is located here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-hopvine-your-neighborhood-pub. Presently they have raised over $50k of their goal of $50k.

Finally, if you can't do either of these, but have memories you wish to share with others why they should support this institution, tell them to go or support the fundraiser.

Finally, the Hopvine Pub recognizes that this fundraiser is not the best approach to sustaining its business. Which is why they hope this will be the last time they ask for your help.

So, consider this your opportunity to support businesses like the Hopvine Pub, which remain sanctuaries for the arts, for the public, and for local and regional businesses.

Back in November of 2019, after months spent coordinating, after reserving my spot on the Anacortes to Friday Harbor followed by an inter-ferry to Eastsound, after arriving, visiting, interviewing, photographing, and finally departing the islands, I went home. Home to the remainder of 2019, home with the prospect of developing and publishing a travel guide to the San Juan Islands, based on the central goal of attending Hops on the Rock. But life happened as it always did, as a freelance journalist.

It started with the onslaught of changes in my day job, the same one that kept advertising off the website, the same one that paid for my travel, my lodging, my food, and pretty much anything else that wasn’t sponsored by the host event. It continued after I barely made it home from another Victoria Beer Week, as something called the Coronavirus was dismissed as another kind of bird flu. And finally, after overcoming working from home, day and night drinking, and the motivation to do anything other than host or attend another video conference call, I finished my 2019 edition of traveling in the San Juan Islands, not in 2019, but much, much later.

But in 2025, I thought up a fun article, a follow- up. A sort of post-mortem review of all the things that led up to the pandemic and how things are progressing on the island. And once again, life happened. So, after months of dealing with the passage of a beloved pet, resetting my compass away from a career as a fiction writer, with no published works, I have grounded myself in journalism, full time.

But, back in November 2025, after months of coordinating, I met up with numerous businesses, one new, a few I missed on my last trip, and some I needed to reconnect with, all to get this updated post-mortem review of life after the pandemic, after 2019’s Hops on the Rock.

Day 4 - Eastsound morning with Doe Bay Resort & Retreat (and Doe Bay Cafe)

After a night interrupted by bouts of waking, tossing, turning, and failed attempts at returning to sleep, I finally gave in and crawled out of bed around 5:30 a.m. At some point earlier in the morning, laughter and raised voices drifted past my rental — the kind of late-night revelry that feels inevitable on a weekend built around indulgence and escape.

By the time I packed up and left for Doe Bay Resort & Retreat, the roads had gone quiet again. I pulled the car into gear and headed east toward the shoreline.

Doe Bay Resort & Retreat and Doe Bay Cafe

Nearly 25 minutes outside of Eastsound, along the winding bends of Crescent Beach Drive, Olga Road, and finally Port Lawrence Road, sits Doe Bay Resort & Retreat — tucked quietly along the southeastern shoreline of Orcas Island.

The first thing that greets you upon arrival is the view. Doe Bay opens wide before the property, framed by forest and shoreline, the water shifting beneath an unsettled sky that alternated between gray clouds and sudden breaks of sunlight. After parking, I wandered past the resort’s cabins and rental spaces before finding the small mercantile near the entrance. Just beyond it sits Doe Bay Cafe, perched against the bay itself.

Despite a staffing shortage the day I visited, the café moved with a calm rhythm. The kitchen still leaned heavily on ingredients sourced from the resort’s own greenhouses, nearby farms, and foraging efforts around the island’s hills and coastline.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to sit down with River Augenstein, the resort’s general manager. Our conversation centered on the property’s commitment to local sourcing, but also on the broader philosophy behind Doe Bay itself: creating a retreat that feels restorative no matter the season. While summer naturally draws visitors outdoors, River spoke just as fondly about the quieter months, when storms roll through the islands and the resort takes on a slower, more reflective pace.

That atmosphere carries through the entire experience. Guests can stay in cabins, campsites, or other accommodations scattered throughout the property, while days are filled as much or as little as desired — hiking nearby trails, attending yoga sessions, soaking in the bayfront tubs, or simply settling into the café for a long meal.

For brunch, I ordered the Trung Chien, a Vietnamese-inspired omelet layered with rice noodles, mushrooms, allium, nuoc cham, and tamari sesame dipping sauce. Knowing I still had more travel ahead of me later in the day, I kept things simple with coffee from a regional roaster and a glass of orange juice.

Inside, the café felt warm and grounding. Wooden walls softened the space while natural light poured through the windows overlooking the bay. Between the sounds of the kitchen and the steady murmur of guests escaping the weather outside, the experience felt less like dining out and more like briefly stepping into the rhythm of island life itself.

The Ferry Ride Home

With a few final thoughts gathered before leaving Doe Bay Resort & Retreat, I pull into the Washington State Ferry Terminal queue and make one last stop at the nearby general store. The familiar rhythm of island travel already feels nostalgic.

Before long, the ferry bound for Anacortes glides into view. I board, settle into a window seat, and watch the shoreline slowly drift away. As the islands fade into the gray-blue distance, I find myself replaying the weekend in fragments — good drinks, generous conversations, long meals, and the kind of quiet that’s hard to come by elsewhere.

Leaving is never the easiest part of visiting the San Juan Islands, though maybe that’s what makes returning feel inevitable.

A sincere thank you to the businesses featured here for their hospitality, generosity, and, in many cases, for hosting me along the way. Their food, drink, and company made this trip one worth lingering on long after the ferry ride home.

If you want a breakdown of where to go, including the businesses mentioned in this four-part series, visit the following link: https://www.northwestbeerguide.com/nwbg-san-juan-county-2021

Pursuant to FTC rules, research was sponsored by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau,. However, our inclusion of these businesses was strictly voluntary and subject to editorial discretion.

Back in November of 2019, after months spent coordinating, after reserving my spot on the Anacortes to Friday Harbor followed by an inter-ferry to Eastsound, after arriving, visiting, interviewing, photographing, and finally departing the islands, I went home. Home to the remainder of 2019, home with the prospect of developing and publishing a travel guide to the San Juan Islands, based on the central goal of attending Hops on the Rock. But life happened as it always did, as a freelance journalist.

It started with the onslaught of changes in my day job, the same one that kept advertising off the website, the same one that paid for my travel, my lodging, my food, and pretty much anything else that wasn’t sponsored by the host event. It continued after I barely made it home from another Victoria Beer Week, as something called the Coronavirus was dismissed as another kind of bird flu. And finally, after overcoming working from home, day and night drinking, and the motivation to do anything other than host or attend another video conference call, I finished my 2019 edition of traveling in the San Juan Islands, not in 2019, but much, much later.

But in 2025, I thought up a fun article, a follow- up. A sort of post-mortem review of all the things that led up to the pandemic and how things are progressing on the island. And once again, life happened. So, after months of dealing with the passage of a beloved pet, resetting my compass away from a career as a fiction writer, with no published works, I have grounded myself in journalism, full time.

But, back in November 2025, after months of coordinating, I met up with numerous businesses, one new, a few I missed on my last trip, and some I needed to reconnect with, all to get this updated post-mortem review of life after the pandemic, after 2019’s Hops on the Rock.

With the goal of witnessing the opening of Brown Bear Baking, I woke up before sunrise, loaded the car up with my belongings and made my way to the ferry terminal. As you can imagine, I was one of the first to arrive at that hour.

Day 3 - Eastsound and the morning before Hops on the Rock

My body wakes before the alarm, as it always does on island mornings, so I step out into the early quiet and set off for a few miles around Eastsound.

Outside, the island was just beginning to stir awake. A remarkable partly cloudy sky stretched across the harbor, with streaks of gold and pale orange breaking through the morning clouds as the sun climbed over Orcas Island. For a few quiet moments, the town felt suspended between night and day, the streets nearly empty except for a few early risers carrying warm drinks into the cold morning air. Adding another layer of clothing, I recover a few miles around the downtown area, before making my way back to Brown Bear Baking.

By the time they open its doors, I’m ready for coffee, lingering a while with a book before slipping into the slow rhythm of browsing the shops as the day takes shape. Along the few busy blocks of downtown Eastsound, each storefront seems to carry its own distinct character — together forming a small but varied portrait of island life.

Drifting past, the air shifts with the scents of the morning’s kitchens: charred pizza crusts, Latin spices layered with turmeric, garlic, red chile, and slow-cooked meats. From there, I make my way to speak with Rick Hughes, co-coordinator of this year’s Hops on the Rock.

Hops on the Rock - Rich Hughes

At the parking lot of Orcas Island Market, preparations for Hops on the Rock were already underway. Between setup and opening, I caught up with co-organizer Rick Hughes, who many island visitors may also recognize as the co-owner of Ray’s Pharmacy and General Store and Island Life.

Our conversation quickly moved beyond the logistics of a beer festival. Rick reflected on the years between 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic, when tourism slowed, supply chains faltered, and island businesses were forced to adapt almost overnight. Rather than retreat, many on Orcas Island leaned harder into community support. Local restaurants, cafés, and bakeries collaborated on rotating weekly meals while businesses worked together to support residents through wellness checks and outreach efforts during periods of limited travel and uncertainty.

Rick, a former San Juan County council board member who remains active in local tourism efforts, explained how the eventual return of Hops on the Rock in 2022 represented more than just the comeback of a festival. Funded in part through tourism-related grants, the event became a symbol of recovery for both Orcas Island and the broader San Juan community.

Back 2022, the festival was organized by a committee made up of Becca Gray of Island Hoppin’, Tim Coffey, Rick Hughes, Jacob Linnes of Orcas Island Market, Cole Sisson of Doe Bay Wine Company and Roots Café, along with Regan Vaughn of Smoke Stack Services. Together, they’ve rebuilt the event into a celebration not only of craft beer and hospitality, but of the island resilience after the pandemic.

An undercurrent of that spirit could be felt throughout the festival’s connection to Veterans Day weekend. Between pours, conversations, and live music, moments of silence paused the festivities to honor veterans and active service members, while volunteers from American Legion Post #93 - Voyle B. Martin quietly helped keep operations moving behind the scenes. As Rick explained, Hops on the Rock was never intended to be solely about tourism or beer. At its heart, the festival exists to recognize and support the people who sustain island life year-round — whether through military service, volunteerism, or simply by continuing to invest in the Orcas Island community through difficult and uncertain times.

Hours later, I make my way back to my room, allowing a moment to relax, before making my way to my final stop of the evening.

New Leaf Cafe

Arriving through the front doors of New Leaf Cafe, I confirm my reservation and settle in, reflecting briefly on its long-standing connection to the Outlook Inn and the rhythms of island life it has long embodied. Founded in 2001 by Sara and Adam Farish after leaving California in the wake of the dot-com collapse, it reflects a familiar San Juan Islands pattern: people leave, the world expands, and many eventually return, bringing that experience back with them.

Ownership has since changed hands, but the atmosphere remains steady — rooted in local farms, waters, and small producers that define the region more than any single stewardship.

I begin with French onion soup and a Woodinville Rye Manhattan, the warmth of both settling in as the room fills slowly around me. The soup arrives as it should: onions softened into beef stock, topped with melted Gruyère and crisp crostini. From there, I move to a ribeye steak with blue cheese compound butter, broccolini, and garlic mashed potatoes, paired with a Chuckanut lager and a glass of Malbec from Luigi Bosca.

Between courses, I notice a young family nearby, marking a special evening out. With permission, I photograph their desserts after a curious child takes interest in the camera, turning a passing moment into something shared and unplanned.

To close, I try a Fog & Flame — a final nightcap that doesn’t quite land — before shifting to a Bailey’s Irish cream and a huckleberry tart, letting the evening wind down in softer notes.

A sincere thank you to the businesses featured here for their hospitality, generosity, and, in many cases, for hosting me along the way. Their food, drink, and company made this trip one worth lingering on long after the ferry ride home.

If you want a breakdown of where to go, including the businesses mentioned in this four-part series, visit the following link: https://www.northwestbeerguide.com/nwbg-san-juan-county-2021

Pursuant to FTC rules, research was sponsored by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau,. However, our inclusion of these businesses was strictly voluntary and subject to editorial discretion.

Back in November of 2019, after months spent coordinating, after reserving my spot on the Anacortes to Friday Harbor followed by an inter-ferry to Eastsound, after arriving, visiting, interviewing, photographing, and finally departing the islands, I went home. Home to the remainder of 2019, home with the prospect of developing and publishing a travel guide to the San Juan Islands, based on the central goal of attending Hops on the Rock. But life happened as it always did, as a freelance journalist.

It started with the onslaught of changes in my day job, the same one that kept advertising off the website, the same one that paid for my travel, my lodging, my food, and pretty much anything else that wasn’t sponsored by the host event. It continued after I barely made it home from another Victoria Beer Week, as something called the Coronavirus was dismissed as another kind of bird flu. And finally, after overcoming working from home, day and night drinking, and the motivation to do anything other than host or attend another video conference call, I finished my 2019 edition of traveling in the San Juan Islands, not in 2019, but much, much later.

But in 2025, I thought up a fun article, a follow- up. A sort of post-mortem review of all the things that led up to the pandemic and how things are progressing on the island. And once again, life happened. So, after months of dealing with the passage of a beloved pet, resetting my compass away from a career as a fiction writer, with no published works, I have grounded myself in journalism, full time.

But, back in November 2025, after months of coordinating, I met up with numerous businesses, one new, a few I missed on my last trip, and some I needed to reconnect with, all to get this updated post-mortem review of life after the pandemic, after 2019’s Hops on the Rock.

With the goal of witnessing the opening of Brown Bear Baking, I woke up before sunrise, loaded the car up with my belongings and made my way to the ferry terminal. As you can imagine, I was one of the first to arrive at that hour.

Day 2 - Eastsound

Eventually on the ferry, I relaxed as I witnessed some of the most breathtaking sunrises as the Washington State Ferry navigated its way to Orcas Island. Upon its arrival, passengers are first to be let off before cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles are allowed to depart onto the road. What happens next are several miles of winding roads, filled with sweeping vistas, filled with farmland and occasional deer sightings.

Brown Bear Baking

Turning into Eastsound, I pull in just as morning begins to lift and find myself arriving a little ahead of the doors opening at Brown Bear Baking. After a few prior phone calls, I’ve finally arranged to sit down with owners—chef Lee Horswill and baker David Ellertsen—before the day’s rush begins to gather.

Brown Bear Baking opened in 2013, born from a convergence of timing, skill, and a bit of luck. Both men came from different professional worlds—design, marketing, architecture—before stepping away from their previous careers. During travels, they each found themselves reconsidering what work might look like next. That shift became real when they visited Eastsound and learned of a bakery space on Main Street that was about to close. Seeing potential in the bones of the place, they decided to take it on.

Their paths had already begun to overlap years earlier. Lee, who had pursued pastry training, and David, who had left the Navy and moved through a period of reinvention, eventually met and formed a friendship that carried them to the San Francisco Baking Institute, where they studied under Michel Suas. There, Lee gravitated toward pastry for its precision and room for controlled experimentation, while David found his focus in bread—fermentation, patience, and process.

Back on Orcas Island, the idea solidified. They pooled savings, skills, and sheer physical effort into rebuilding the space themselves. David recalls long days of teardown and rebuilding, followed by installing equipment, furnishing the bakery, and finishing the interior in a style that reflected their shared sensibilities. By 2013, Brown Bear Baking opened its doors and quickly became part of the island’s rhythm.

Even now, lines often form before opening—a quiet testament to how firmly it has embedded itself in both local life and seasonal travel patterns.

When the conversation turns to the pandemic, the tone shifts. They reflect on the uncertainty of that period, the strain on staff, and the evolving responsibility of running a small business through disruption. Out of that experience came a decision: to prioritize time off and sustainability for their team. Today, the bakery typically opens Friday through Sunday in the quieter months, balancing demand with recovery.

As the doors prepare to open, the familiar pull of fresh bread and pastry is already building outside. Caramel sticky buns, bear claws, and daily specials await, best paired with a strong coffee—and, as they’d likely suggest, a bit of patience in the morning line.

Island Hoppin Brewery

Fueled by a breakfast of sticky bun, coffee, and croque madame, I climbed back into the car and made the short drive to Island Hoppin’ Brewery. Though only a few minutes from downtown Eastsound, the brewery carries the relaxed feeling of a destination all its own.

Founded by Becca Gray, Nate Schons, and Jim Parker, Island Hoppin’ officially opened in 2012, though depending on who’s telling the story, its roots stretch back even further into backyard homebrewing experiments nearly two decades ago.

Each founder brought something essential to the brewery’s identity. Nate arrived with years of brewing experience shaped in the Methow Valley, where he balanced ski culture with brewery work before eventually developing recipes of his own and relocating to the San Juan Islands. Becca, meanwhile, came to Orcas Island while pursuing post-graduate studies, bringing both an engineering background and a curiosity for brewing science that naturally aligned with Nate’s growing passion for craft beer. Together, the pair met Jim Parker, a carpenter by trade who embraced the idea of building a brewery from the ground up.

What followed was a distinctly island-made operation. Using a DIY approach, the trio transformed their shared vision into a brewery and taproom that reflected both the creativity and resilience of Orcas Island itself.

When I first visited in 2019, Nate walked me through the brewhouse, introducing me to the mill, the brewing system, and eventually a pint poured inside the taproom while Becca greeted customers with the warmth that quickly became part of the brewery’s reputation. Over beers, we talked about the realities of island business — the dramatic swings between bustling tourist seasons and the quieter winters when locals settle in against the cold and the rain. Despite those challenges, there was an unmistakable optimism in the way Nate and Becca approached both brewing and hospitality.

Returning again in 2025 felt less like revisiting a brewery and more like reconnecting with old friends. With Hops on the Rock unfolding that weekend, our conversations drifted more toward community and shared experiences than the economics of brewing. Even after years of uncertainty for small businesses, that same positivity remained intact.

While finishing this article, however, news broke that Island Hoppin’ was entering a new chapter. In January 2026, Becca and Nate announced they were handing ownership to Tyler Otten and Heidi Otten while remaining involved during the transition. Judging by the spirit they cultivated over the years, it’s hard to imagine the brewery becoming anything other than what it has always been: welcoming, community-driven, and unmistakably Orcas Island. I’ve also included the statement posted on their Instagram.

We have some exciting news from the island!!!

Island Hoppin’ Brewery has officially entered into its next phase with new owners! Don’t worry, the beer will be the same, if not better. Please help us welcome to the family; Tyler and Heidi Otten! We couldn’t ask for better people to be the new energy behind the brewery. Tyler and Nate will be working together over the brew kettle, and Becca will still be serving pints. (You can’t get rid of us yet!) It’s been a wild ride and we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you! There are not enough ways to express our thanks to all of our employees over the years. This brewery has created life long friends, amazing memories, and possibly a tear in our beer over the years. We wouldn’t have had it any other way. Look for new styles in cans, a further reach of distribution, and the same island vibe. Thank you all and we look forward to continuing this journey together!! -January 29th, 2026 (source, https://www.instagram.com/p/DUHL2Aqkqm9/)

If you want to learn more, we encourage you to visit the brewery’s website at https://www.islandhoppinbrewery.com.

SeaStar Lofts

There really isn’t much that has changed with our visit, beyond an updated door access process.

But this is what we said back in 2020, when we published our thoughts on 2019’s Hops on the Rock weekend.

Located, along Eastsound's 'Main Street' Seastar Lofts provides guests with their choice of configurations, ranging from the comfortable to the spacious. For my stay, I took advantage of the Captain’s Suite which included vaulted-ceilings, a private patio for two, a natural-gas-fired barbecue, a full kitchen, combination bathtub and shower, and a king-sized bed. Oh, and a spacious living room, complete with natural-gas-fired fireplace and big screen TV doesn't hurt. At $175 in the off-season and $275 in the Summer/high-season season, the Seastar Loft is minutes from nearby cafes, restaurants, and shopping.

Now, obviously it’s 6 years later, so rates are most definitely different. Other than that, I can honestly say, staying in the suite, except for adjacent kitchen traffic and outdoor conversations, it’s a quiet space and you’ll easily lose yourself in the climate-controlled space as you enjoy a sip, a good book, or a long rest in their king-sized bed.

That evening.

Unlike my visit to Friday Harbor, there was a welcomed stillness to the evening which allowed me to visit any of the places listed in our guide “The Northwest Beer Guide presents, The Beer Guide to San Juan County for 2021.”. For me, I settled on The Lower Tavern.

However, the next day, we look forward to an opportunity to walk around Eastsound, grab some coffee, maybe some breakfast, and gear up for the reason I am here - Hops on the Rock.

A sincere thank you to the businesses featured here for their hospitality, generosity, and, in many cases, for hosting me along the way. Their food, drink, and company made this trip one worth lingering on long after the ferry ride home.

If you want a breakdown of where to go, including the businesses mentioned in this four-part series, visit the following link: https://www.northwestbeerguide.com/nwbg-san-juan-county-2021

Pursuant to FTC rules, research was sponsored by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau,. However, our inclusion of these businesses was strictly voluntary and subject to editorial discretion.

It started with the onslaught of changes in my day job, the same one that kept advertising off the website, the same one that paid for my travel, my lodging, my food, and pretty much anything else that wasn’t sponsored by the host event. It continued after I barely made it home from another Victoria Beer Week, as something called the Coronavirus was dismissed as another kind of bird flu. And finally, after overcoming working from home, day and night drinking, and the motivation to do anything other than host or attend another video conference call, I finished my 2019 edition of traveling in the San Juan Islands, not in 2019, but much, much later.

But in 2025, I thought up a fun article, a follow- up. A sort of post-mortem review of all the things that led up to the pandemic and how things are progressing on the island. And once again, life happened. So, after months of dealing with the passage of a beloved pet, resetting my compass away from a career as a fiction writer, with no published works, I have grounded myself in journalism, full time.

But, back in November 2025, after months of coordinating, I met up with numerous businesses, one new, a few I missed on my last trip, and some I needed to reconnect with, all to get this updated post-mortem review of life after the pandemic, after 2019’s Hops on the Rock.

Day 1 - Friday Harbor

By the time I arrive at the ferry terminal in Anacortes, the sun has already climbed above the Cascade peaks, casting pale November light across the marina. Travelers wait quietly beside idling cars, all of us pointed toward the islands. After checking in, I form the line of vehicles inching toward the ferry as it exhales a stream of departing passengers before swallowing us into its steel belly.

Up on deck, the mainland slowly loosens its grip. The piers recede, gulls wheel overhead, and the air turns sharp with salt, cedar, and the cold breath of the Pacific. The ferry cuts through the inland waterways that connect the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, carrying us deeper into the San Juan archipelago. Wrapped in the damp chill, I witness evergreen islands drift past like dark silhouettes in the mist.

Hours later, the boat glides into Friday Harbor, where the pace softens the instant the wheels meet shore.

San Juan Island Brewing Company

By 11 a.m., the rain had settled into Friday Harbor like a familiar guest, tapping softly against the parking lot at San Juan Island Brewing Company. Inside, the brewery carried the easy warmth of a community gathering place—part alehouse, part island living room.

When brothers Sean and Tim Aylward opened the brewery in 2017, it took more than ambition to make it happen. Building a brewery on an island demands a kind of collective determination, and in many ways San Juan Island Brewing became a fraternity of friends, family, and locals willing to help turn the vision into reality. Back in 2019, the brewery leaned heavily into American-style ales and German-inspired lagers, pairing them with pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and salads built around ingredients sourced from nearby farms and producers.

Years later, not much about the brewery feels dramatically altered—and that may be its greatest strength. Alongside Jesse Visciglia, the Aylward brothers navigated the upheaval of the pandemic with the steady pragmatism island communities are known for. The San Juan Islands’ physical isolation, accessible only by ferry, private boat, or seaplane, helped limit the spread of COVID-19 in those uncertain early days. But that same isolation also made every shipment of ingredients more expensive and unpredictable.

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Out of those challenges came one of the brewery’s most memorable additions: a sourdough starter cultivated during the stay-at-home era and now folded into the brewery’s pizza dough. The result is a crust with remarkable depth and character—chewy, blistered, and flavorful enough to stand on its own.

On this return visit, I settled in with a Chicken Bacon Blue sandwich and a pepperoni pizza special, both paired with a crisp pint of San Juan Pilsner. Outside, the rain kept drumming against the asphalt while the brewery filled with the low hum of lunchtime conversation. It would have been easy to stay for another round.

Unfortunately, the day’s schedule left little room to linger. Still, as I stepped back into the damp island air, I promised I’d return sooner next time—to see how this island brewery continues to weather rising costs, shifting seasons, and the unique rhythms of life at the edge of Puget Sound.

Madrone Cellars

From San Juan Island Brewing, I set off for Madrone Cellars & Cider tasting room. Tucked into 40 First Street South, it presents itself less like a conventional tasting room and more like a quiet assertion that wine, in all its variability, can belong here in the San Juan Islands.

What began as a pursuit of wild fermentation—wines and sparkling wines made with minimal intervention, no filtration, and a light touch in the cellar—has evolved into something more grounded: a living proof of concept. That patience, that willingness to let fermentation speak for itself, now reads as a philosophy embedded into place.

For Shaun Salamida and their spouse Amy Salamida, the idea was never simply to make wine. It was to make wine here. Shaun’s path through viticulture, which began around 2011, eventually became inseparable from that geography-first ambition. The story, as it unfolded, was not linear. It carried them through Lake Chelan before finally settling on San Juan Island, where intention and location finally aligned.

Amy, originally from the islands before time on the mainland, became part of that return. Together, they shaped Madrone not just as a business, but as a relocation of a life—something built as much from movement as from fermentation.

With two locations on the island—one in Friday Harbor and another further afield—the tasting room offers an accessible entry point. I found myself drawn less to the wines in isolation and more to the broader sensibility at work, including a line of rustic ciders made with the same restraint and care as everything else they produce.

It would be easy, here, to list tasting notes. A cider touched by French oak. Another shaped in a dry, English-inspired style. But fermentation resists permanence; it is, by nature, something that changes even as you try to describe it. What matters more is the impression it leaves in the moment, rather than the attempt to fix it in language.

So instead of reducing it to descriptors, I would rather leave it at this: Madrone Cellars & Cider is best understood in person, where the philosophy behind the bottles can be met on its own terms.

Westcott Bay Cider & San Juan Island Distillery

By early afternoon dark clouds hung low over San Juan Island, stacked like gray boulders above the tree line as I made my way toward Westcott Bay Cider and San Juan Island Distillery. Rain swept across the windshield in uneven bursts, forcing the wiper blades into a steady rhythm while I abandoned my usual route for slower, safer roads.

Under normal conditions, the drive from downtown Friday Harbor to Westcott Bay takes roughly 20 minutes. But November rain has a way of reshaping time on the islands, and the trip stretched closer to half an hour before I arrived near Roche Harbor, tucked into one of the quieter corners of San Juan Island.

Founded in 1999, Westcott Bay Cider has long embraced the orchard traditions of the Pacific Northwest, producing both semi-sweet and dry ciders alongside a range of apple-based spirits crafted through San Juan Island Distillery. Their portfolio includes Apple Eau de Vie, apple brandy, and pommeau, all rooted in the character of island-grown fruit.

Inside the tasting room, co-owners Suzy Pingree and Hawk Pingree poured a series of tiny samples—less than an ounce at a time—allowing the spirits to speak softly but clearly. I revisited several apple expressions along with grain- and apple-based gins, each carrying a distinctly earthy, orchard-driven quality.

Conversation came easily. Suzy and Hawk reflected on how the islands weathered the early pandemic years, including the distillery’s temporary pivot into sanitizer production when supplies were scarce. During quieter stretches, they turned their attention back to the land, planting black currants and other berries that have since matured into future ingredients.

What stood out most, however, was the intimacy of the experience. Late autumn brings fewer visitors willing to brave the ferry ride and uncertain weather, leaving the tasting room feeling less like a tourist stop and more like a long dinner conversation among friends. There was no rush, no crowd pressing in behind me—only the steady sound of rain outside and stories unfolding over small pours of cider and gin.

Eventually, the afternoon slipped away and it was time to continue down the road.

Duck Soup Restaurant

Moments after what felt like a tentative reconciliation, I was back on the road, the conversation still lingering as the landscape of the San Juan Islands slipped past the windshield. Not long after, I arrived at Duck Soup Inn, where I met with its longest-serving general manager, Anna Lisa Lindstrum.

I arrived a little early and used the time to wander. Rain was falling with real intent now—steady, unshowy, the kind that soaks through seams and softens edges. The air carried that late-island quiet beneath it, the kind that makes even your own footsteps feel slightly out of place against the weather.

Around the front of the building, I found an improvised outdoor setup—tented seating holding its ground against the downpour, a fire pit glowing stubbornly through the grey, and a scattering of chairs arranged with casual resilience. Water ran in thin lines off the edges of fabric and wood, but the space still felt deliberately composed. It read less like an attempt to resist the weather than to work with it: a place built not just for service, but for endurance.

Noticing me outside, Anna Lisa soon came out and welcomed me in. Inside, the conversation turned naturally toward the years since the pandemic. On an island already accustomed to seasonal contraction—when late fall slides into winter and business slows to a near hush—the external shock of lockdowns did not arrive as an entirely foreign rhythm, but rather an intensification of what was already familiar.

She noted that transmission rates remained relatively low, shaped in part by that same island isolation. Still, when reopening became possible, the response was pragmatic: outdoor tents, heaters, and service pushed into the open air. Meals continued, but in a different register—more exposed, more elemental.

There was honesty in her reflection on those years. The setup kept the restaurant alive, and by some measures, it was even successful. Yet it also meant long hours moving between kitchen and weather, carrying plates into wind and cold, repeating a cycle that was as exhausting as it was necessary.

Today, that chapter has largely closed. The tents remain, while the dining room has reclaimed its central place, and the focus has returned indoors. Anna Lisa described it simply: there is no better sound than a full dining room—laughter rising, cutlery in motion, the steady hum of a place working exactly as it should.

Approaching decades in operation, Duck Soup Inn remains a fixture for both locals and visitors marking milestones, from anniversaries to unplanned evenings that turn into something memorable. The menu still begins close to home—shellfish, seafood, and produce drawn from nearby waters and farms—then extends to local livestock, each plate anchored in proximity.

What stood out most, though, was Anna Lisa’s quiet gratitude. She spoke of sourcing ingredients not as a task, but as a kind of return—something that connects kitchen, landscape, and community. Over the years, she has watched guests come back again and again, sometimes as generations of the same family, carrying forward their own rituals of return.

By the end of our conversation, that sense of continuity felt almost tangible—like the restaurant itself was less a place than an ongoing memory, still being written, service by service.

Before leaving, I ask what matters most about this place. Anna Lisa doesn’t hesitate: “I don’t want people to feel like they have to get up off their table. I want it to feel relaxed. I want it to feel special.” It lands simply, but with intent—the kind of philosophy you can feel in the room more than hear in the words.

Downriggers

Rain followed me back into Friday Harbor, drumming steadily against the windshield before fading just long enough for the wiper blades to chatter awkwardly across the glass. Inside the car, the heater battled the creeping condensation that kept fogging the windows as November settled deeper over the island.

Past the school campus and a row of weatherworn storefronts, I rolled slowly down Spring Street and passed Kings Market, unexpectedly dark after a leaking roof surrendered to the afternoon downpour. A few blocks later, I found parking near Downriggers, the waterfront restaurant glowing warmly against the damp gray evening.

Perched along the waterfront in Friday Harbor, Downriggers has become one of the island’s defining dining rooms, pairing panoramic harbor views with a menu rooted in the flavors of the Pacific Northwest. Known for locally sourced seafood, regional wines, and a broad whiskey and craft beer selection, the restaurant draws a steady mix of ferry travelers, boaters, and island residents throughout the year.

Observing its interior, one can see large windows which showcase the marina where ferries arrive from the mainland, creating a dining experience that feels inseparable from the rhythms of island life itself. In many ways, Downriggers reflects the modern identity of the San Juan Islands — equal parts working waterfront, tourism hub, and culinary destination shaped by the waters surrounding it.

I’m inside and the island weather shifts by the minute — rain, then sunlight, then rain again spilling across the harbor windows. Reviewing the menu I settle on their crab tots, spicy shrimp mac and cheese, a local IPA, and a coconut mojito, the kind of comfort that feels earned after a day spent traversing the winding roads and quiet shoreline communities of the San Juans. An hour later, with night closing in, I pointed the car toward Tucker House Inn, ending the evening somewhere both familiar and unmistakably island.

Tucker House

By now, it’s late and the sun has all but vanished into the earthen background, when I head back to Friday Harbor. As the day softens, I return to the familiarity of The Tucker House awaiting check-in.

Built in 1898, the lovingly named Tucker House once belonged to Clarence M. and Marie Tucker. Clarence, an owner of a grist mill, later moved into public service as county treasurer and clerk at San Juan County Bank. Today, the home is part of the Tucker House Inn & Harrison Suites, with the suites located just next door at 235 C Street.

The property now operates as a welcoming, environmentally minded stay, shaped by its caretakers’ commitment to hospitality and sustainability—a “green inn” that invites guests not just to stay, but to settle in.

For me, the appeal is its easy familiarity, even in a different room each time. Clean sheets, a full kitchen, a spacious living area, a modern bathroom—and for this trip, tucked outside, a hot tub on the patio.

In theory, it’s all there for slow evenings and unhurried rest. In practice, the day slips away faster than intended, and the hot tub becomes more a promise than a routine. Unfortunately for me, my relaxing time is far in the distance, as I avoid the chance to sit in the outdoor tub.

My mind on the next day, I choose to sleep early, knowing that I have a full day ahead of me tomorrow.

A sincere thank you to the businesses featured here for their hospitality, generosity, and, in many cases, for hosting me along the way. Their food, drink, and company made this trip one worth lingering on long after the ferry ride home.

If you want a breakdown of where to go, including the businesses mentioned in this four-part series, visit the following link: https://www.northwestbeerguide.com/nwbg-san-juan-county-2021

Pursuant to FTC rules, research was sponsored by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau,. However, our inclusion of these businesses was strictly voluntary and subject to editorial discretion.

TLDR;

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, in conjunction with CBS’ Survivor has crafted a celebratory release for the reality TV series’ 50th season.

Inspired by the show’s location, Coconut Etiquette is hazy ipa brewed with toasted coconut, dehydrated coconut water and passionfruit. It was first release as a surprise offering for those who successfully complete the Survivor 50 Challenge. But now, it’s available nationwide for those lucky enough to find it.

But, before you start searching your local store shelves, you need to know it requires ordering online and you have to be 21 or older.

If interested in purchasing Coconut Etiquette before the start of Survivor 50, read the attached press below.

Press Release

MILTON, Del. (April 30, 2026) – Delaware’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and CBS’s iconic  television series, Survivor, are teaming up to celebrate the show’s 50th season with the  limited-edition launch of Coconut Etiquette, a collaborative beer inspired by Survivor’s  island setting. 

What is Coconut Etiquette? Inspired by Survivor’s tropical backdrop, Coconut Etiquette  (6.2% ABV) is a hazy IPA brewed with toasted coconut, dehydrated coconut water and  passionfruit. First debuted as a surprise-and-delight offering for idol hunters visiting  Dogfish Head’s Delaware brewery during Survivor’s nationwide scavenger hunt, the  Survivor 50 Challenge, Coconut Etiquette will now be available for fans from coast-to coast to enjoy, while supplies last. 

“I’ve watched Survivor alongside my family for years, so when the opportunity came about to collaborate with the show to celebrate their 50th season, I couldn’t have been more  excited,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Brewer & Founder. “Working alongside my  fellow brewers, we wanted to create a reward-worthy beer embodying the show’s island  setting. Together, we landed on a beautifully refreshing hazy IPA with all the tropical aromas  and flavors you’d expect to find on a jaunt around a Fijian paradise.” 

When and where will Coconut Etiquette be available? Coconut Etiquette will be sold  within a custom, castaway-themed box, complete with a suite of limited-edition Dogfish  Head x Survivor merchandise. Priced at just $50 per each, inclusive of ground shipping,  every Dogfish Head x Survivor Season 50 Kit features the following items. 

• 1 – 4pk/12oz cans of Coconut Etiquette  

• 1 Dogfish Head x Survivor pint glass  

• 1 Dogfish Head x Survivor sticker 

• 1 Dogfish Head x Survivor Buff® 

Fans can grab a limited-edition Dogfish Head x Survivor Season 50 Kit via  www.GiveThemBeer.com, beginning on Friday, May 1, at 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST.  Available only while supplies last and limited to one kit per person. Order by Monday, May  11, to ensure arrival ahead of Survivor’s season 50 finale, slated to air on CBS and  Paramount+ on Wednesday, May 20, at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST. 

Missed out on a Dogfish Head x Survivor Season 50 Kit? Not to worry! While initial  quantities of Dogfish Head x Survivor Season 50 Kits hit www.GiveThemBeer.com, on  Friday, May 1, additional product drops are scheduled for the following dates and times.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

• Wednesday, May 6, at 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST 

• Monday, May 11, at 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST 

And if you still can’t snag a kit, head on over to Dogfish Head’s e-store at  www.shop.dogfish.com, where you can grab a Dogfish Head x Survivor pint glass, sticker or Buff®. Items sold separately; beer is not included. 

For more information about Dogfish Head and Survivor, please visit www.dogfish.com and  www.cbs.com/shows/survivor, respectively.  

XXX 

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DOGFISH HEAD CRAFT BREWERY: 

With quality, creativity and non-conformity at its core, Dogfish Head has been committed to  brewing unique beers with high-caliber culinary ingredients outside the Reinheitsgebot  since the day it opened more than 30 years ago. Dedicated to exploring goodness of all kinds,  Dogfish Head later expanded its beverage artistry beyond just craft beer to produce award 

winning portfolios of full-proof spirits – whiskeys, gins, vodkas, rums and more – and spirits based, ready-to-drink canned cocktails. A Boston Beer Company brand and proud supporter  of the Independent Craft Brewing Seal, Dogfish Head is a Delaware-based entity consisting  of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, a production brewery and tasting room; Dogfish Head  Distilling Co., a production distillery; Brewings & Eats, a brewpub and live music venue;  Chesapeake & Maine, a seafood and cocktail spot; and the Dogfish INN, a beer-themed,  canal-front hotel. For more about Dogfish Head, please visit www.dogfish.com or follow the  brand on social media.  

SURVIVOR: 

Survivor 50 will push the series into uncharted territory and impact the players like never  before. For the first time ever, the game is In the Hand of the Fans. Twenty-four legendary  castaways, selected from 49 unforgettable seasons, return to face surprise twists, high stakes challenges, and fan-driven decisions that shape the game. Survivor 50 is a  celebration of legacy, strategy, and audience impact where the viewers play a pivotal role in  the evolution of this groundbreaking game. The castaways will face a season to remember  from the moment they step on the beach, with the same goal: to claim the title of Sole  Survivor and win the $1 million prize. SURVIVOR is hosted by five-time Emmy winner Jeff  Probst. SURVIVOR airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on the CBS Network and available to  stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TLDR;

pFriem Family Brewers and Firestone Walker Brewing Company collaborated to release the official beer of the “Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest”.

Brewed at Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, California, the duo developed a West Coast-style IPA made with proprietary malt called “To Thee Pils™” from maltster RahrBSG, which was produced in collaboration with pFriem Family Brewers, along with pFriem Family Brewers’ ale yeast, and hops Mosaic, Nectaron, and Krush Cryo.

For this duo of pFriem Family Brewers’ co-owner and founding brewer Josh pFriem and Firestone Walker’s Matt Brynildson, this collaboration was over 10-years in the making after years of collaborative engagement as stewards of two powerhouse breweries,

Now out in the market, the beer has been described by the two breweries in this way.

pFreal West Coast IPA features a pale, crisp malt body that lets Mosaic, Nectaron, and Krush Cryo dry hops shine with a juicy balance of peach, tangerine peel and mango aromas and flavors.

If you want to learn more about this release and the collaboration, we’ve included the press release below.

Press Release

Paso Robles, California – The official collaboration beer of the 2026 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest lands now as Firestone Walker and pFriem Family Brewers introduce pFreal—a West Coast IPA available for a limited time in canned six-packs at Firestone Walker and pFriem locations and on draft at select accounts. 

Brewed by two legends of the West Coast IPA style, pFreal is the latest annual collaboration to commemorate the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest. This year’s event lands on Saturday, May 30, featuring an all-star cast of more than 65 breweries from around the world along with live music and food offerings from more than 20 local chefs and restaurants. The event marks another milestone during Firestone Walker’s 30th anniversary year as a California craft brewery. 

Collaboratively Crafted

pFreal West Coast IPA features a pale, crisp malt body that lets Mosaic, Nectaron, and Krush Cryo dry hops shine with a juicy balance of peach, tangerine peel and mango aromas and flavors. In addition to its pre-event availability this spring, the beer will be featured prominently during the weekend of the 2026 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest. The colorful can art by illustrator Joshua Noom captures the vibe of both the collaboration and Firestone Walker’s 30th anniversary. 

Based in Hood River, Oregon, pFriem Family Brewers was established in 2011 by three friends including Brewmaster Josh Pfriem. “Josh and I were very aligned on brewing philosophies, we’re both technical brewers and fans of sensible IPAs and pilsners,” said Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “We’ve been friends for a decade, often sharing tips and tricks of the brewing trade, so I would say that this collaboration has been a long time coming.”

Brynildson explained that the beer is brewed with pFriem’s house yeast and To Thee! Pilsner Malt, a new malt developed by Rahr Malting Company in collaboration with pFriem. Firestone Walker brewers also met up with the pFriem team for hop selection in Washington’s Yakima Valley, where they ultimately chose Mosaic hops grown at Coleman Farms in Oregon. The Mosaic hops serve as a classic IPA base for pFreal, while dashes of Nectaron and Krush Cryo hops bring a modern flourish to the flavor profile. 

“The making of this beer was a true team effort with pFriem, one that reflects the collaborative spirit of the fest itself,” Brynildson said. 

Beer Fest Run of Show

April 30th – Official Release of “pFreal” West Coast IPA fest collaboration beer
Friday, May 29 – 30th Anniversary Block Party @ Firestone Walker Brewery
Saturday, May 30 – Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest @ Paso Robles Event Center
Sunday, May 31 – Brews & Brekky Brunch @ Firestone Walker Taproom

Visit the 2026 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest event page for complete details. 

# # #

Firestone Walker proudly celebrates 30 years in 2026. Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker is a family-led second-generation brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by Nick Firestone and decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker's main brewery in Paso Robles produces a robust lineup of award-winning beers including 805, California's #1 craft beer brand established in 2012; Mind Haze, a top 5 national hazy IPA; and Cali Squeeze, one of the nation's fastest-growing beer brands. The Firestone brand family also includes iconic beers such as DBA, Union Jack, and Pivo Pils, as well as the storied Vintage Series of barrel-aged strong ales led by Parabola. As a California beer company, Firestone Walker also has two additional locations: the Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Santa Barbara County and the Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice. More at FirestoneWalker.com.

TLDR;

Once again, as they have done seemingly every year since they opened, Chuckanut Brewery has won medals at this year’s World Beer Cup.

Held on April 22nd in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Burlington; Washington’s Chuckanut Brewery took home a Gold medal for their Kolsch German-style Ale, a Silver medal for their Dunkel Lager, and a Bronze medal for their Bohemian Style Pilsner.

Reacting to this, their latest slate of medals at this prestigious contest, the brewery is quick to point out that each of these beers competed in categories that had between 61 and 134 entries.

For more on this and their thoughts, read the press release from the brewery, or visit their taproom at 11937 Higgins Airport Way in Burlington, WA.

Press Release

Chuckanut Brewery is more than thrilled to announce it has won 3 World Beer Cup medals on April 22, 2026. The World Beer Cup, one of the largest international craft beer competitions in the world, had over 8,165 entries from 50 different countries around the world. The blind judging is made by American and international beer judges from 37 different countries. Winning more than one World Beer Cup is a feat, considering the statistics of winning just one medal and Chuckanut won 3 in well known categories. Chuckanut received a Gold for its Kolsch German Style Ale, a Silver for its Dunkel Lager and a Bronze for its Bohemian Style Pilsner. Each beer is recognized for brewing excellence in more than 100 categories. Judges determine if a category contains three excellent examples of the style, and present gold, silver and bronze awards for the first, second and third place beverages, respectively. 

Chuckanut Bohemian Style Lager won in the Czech Style Pale Lager category with 134 entries. The Dunkel won in the Munich-Style Dunkel Lager category with 61 entries and the Kolsch won in the German-Style Kolsch category with 111 entries. Chuckanut Brewery has been awarded and recognized by the World Beer Cup for all of these categories in the past. All three beers are known for their bright, drinkable qualities and are available in draft and cans around Washington, Oregon, Colorado, California, Florida and Georgia. 

Chuckanut Brewery brews award winning Lagers and Ales and has won Large Brewery of the Year at WA Beer Awards 2017, 2019 and 2021 and Small Brewery at the GABF 2009 & 2011. The production facility and Tap Room is in Skagit Valley at 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington, WA. Chuckanut welcomes guests of all ages and has indoor and outdoor seating! Check out additional information about Chuckanut at chuckanutbrewery.com.

Update: We corrected the site of the World Beer Cup.

TLDR;

Stoup Brewing Company, whose flagship brewery is in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, will host during FIFA’s World Cup 2026 in SeaTac, Washington.

Starting June 1st, Stoup invites imbibers to visit the Old Bank Building, located at 18400 International Boulevard, where its fourth location opens. Current capacity at the Old Bank Building is 250, which supports local food trucks, live entertainment, community-focussed entertainment, and of course an opportunity to enjoy FIFA’s World Cup tournament in the greater Seattle area.

As this location is one of two designated activation venues in SeaTac, during the World Cup period, expect expanded programming and increased activity from 9 am to 9 pm, those Fridays and Saturdays.

The plan is to currently operate in the space until July 19th. However, if there is enough of a response, the brewery intends to potentially expand operations through 2026. All of which is part of SeaTac’s goal of expanding public venues throughout the city.

More information, including reactions by Stoup Brewing’s ownership, is included in the press release below.

Press Release

SEATAC, WA — Stoup Brewing is proud to announce its partnership with the City of SeaTac as an official operator of one of the city’s key activation sites for the FIFA World Cup 2026. As the Seattle region prepares to host matches beginning June 15, SeaTac is emerging as a vibrant hub for fans, residents, and visitors—and Stoup is excited to help bring that vision to life.

Located in the Old Bank Building at 18400 International Boulevard, Stoup SeaTac City will serve as a central gathering place throughout the tournament. The site will officially open June 1 and operate daily through at least July 19, with the potential to extend operations through the end of 2026.

The activation site, adjacent to the DoubleTree Hotel, will feature daily match viewings on a large screen, alongside a lineup of local food trucks, live entertainment, and community-focused programming. With a capacity of approximately 250 guests, Stoup SeaTac City is designed to offer an inclusive, energetic environment for fans to come together and celebrate the world’s game.

“Being part of this moment for SeaTac—and for the broader region—is incredibly meaningful to us,” said Co-Owners Brad Benson, Lara Zahaba and Robyn Schumacher. “We’re honored to create a space where community, culture, and soccer intersect in a way that reflects the spirit of this global event.”

Stoup SeaTac City will also serve as the city’s primary Friday and Saturday hub during the World Cup period, with expanded programming and increased activity expected on those days. Operating hours are anticipated to run from approximately 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the City of SeaTac to activate public spaces, support local businesses, and welcome an international audience. In addition to the Old Bank Building site, the City has designated two other activation areas featuring food, entertainment, and community events, one of which - the Bullpen at Angle Lake - will be operated by Métier Brewing Company, another vibrant Seattle Brewery and friends of Stoup Brewing. 

Following the conclusion of the World Cup, the City plans to continue investing in these spaces, with long-term community development and programming envisioned as part of a post-FIFA legacy.

More details, including a full schedule of events and programming, will be released by the City of SeaTac in the coming weeks.

About Stoup Brewing
Stoup Brewing is a science-driven brewery rooted in community, known for producing high-quality, thoughtfully crafted beers. With a strong presence in the Pacific Northwest, Stoup is committed to creating welcoming spaces where people can gather, connect, and share in great beer and meaningful experiences.

Press Release

BELLINGHAM, WA – Kulshan Brewing Company is expanding its lineup of non-alcoholic options  with the distribution launch of its Zero to Hero NA IPA, alongside the introduction of additional NA  offerings across its taprooms. 

Originally released as part of Kulshan’s Brewer’s Select series, Zero to Hero has been reimagined with a  fresh look and is now available in a new 12oz 6-pack format. The non-alcoholic IPA delivers bright hop  character and fruit-forward flavor while maintaining the balance and drinkability Kulshan Brewing is  known for. 

Brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Nectaron, and Galaxy hops, Zero to Hero showcases vibrant tropical notes  of passionfruit, guava, mango, and peach, layered with subtle citrus and light bready malt character. 

Kulshan Brewing continues to invest in the growing non-alcoholic beer category, offering a flavorful,  thoughtfully crafted option that doesn’t compromise on character. Additional NA offerings will continue  to roll out throughout the year. 

For more information, visit kulshanbrewing.com or follow @kulshanbrewery on social media.

Opened in April 2020, shortly after the start of the global pandemic manifested by the novel coronavirus, Sunny Hill opened as a second dining room for families both local and from afar. Developed to showcase the uniqueness of the American food experience, owners and founding chef Jason Stoneburner and promoter Holly Robinson, took guidance from blue collar recipes and created a menu which showcased garden-fresh salads, shareable appetizers and entrees, rotating wine, beer, and cocktails, and all built on pizza. More specifically, Detroit-style pizza.

Prior to their opening, Stoneburner conceived the approach of sourcing ingredients from local farmers and producers, after years working in high-end restaurants and seeing the expressiveness of fresh ingredients. Unlike traditional pizzerias, which begin with the round or square “pie”, Jason’s approach was grounded in traditional restaurant technique.

Take, for example, farm-fresh produce.

Remarking on the day of their anniversary, Stoneburner points to their newly developed spring menu, with items like their Snap Pea Arugula salad. Made with snap peas and arugula, the dish also incorporates freeze-dried fresh garbanzo beans, cucumbers, preserved lemons, and salt. If you read that sentence and are taken aback, you’re not alone. Green garbanzo beans.

As Stoneburner shares, a unique opportunity like this doesn’t happen often, where one acquired fresh, albeit flash-frozen, garbanzo beans. Combined with the other ingredients, the resulting dish is a troupe of flavors in a bowl.

Then there are other ingredients which are locally sourced, specifically Sunny Hill’s draft, bottled, and canned beer list.

At opening, back in 2020, Sunny Hill touted an expressive-list of local, fermented producers from the likes of Ballard’s Urban Family Brewing Company, Interbay’s Holy Mountain Brewing, or Pike Place’s Cloudburst. Since then, much like their ingredient list, Sunny Hill has continued to expand to include producers beyond Seattle, or those who, like Sunny Hill, are developing awareness after opening their own businesses. One of those, which opened over two years after Sunny Hill, was Bizarre Brewing.

Nestled in the Magnolia neighborhood, in what was formerly Urban Family Brewing Company, Derek Brown and Colette Boilini opened their doors in October 2022.

With a focus on sessionable and English-inspired recipes, head brewer and co-owner Derek Brown sought to stand out amongst the loud and proud American India Pale Ales. For the duo, it started with a grain-forward approach and continued by creating a welcoming space for all ages.

Despite their address, Bizarre has become an attractive community center where parents, grandparents, couples, and the brewery-curious can sit down and enjoy a sessionable pint that doesn’t aggravate the palate. And they were making a name for themselves in local bars, restaurants, and independent grocery stores with their uniquely designed cans - created by co-owner Brown.

Eventually, taking notice of each other’s community-minded approach to their businesses, Sunny Hill and Bizarre Brewing started a cooperation, with Sunny Hill selecting specific releases from the brewery, which would complement and benefit from the recipes featured at the restaurant. This has continued into 2026, with various ales and lagers, including an Italian-style Pilsner that Derek and Colette are quite proud of.

So, it couldn’t come as a shock when Sunny Hill’s owners recognized another year was coming, that Bizarre and the restaurant collaborated to release a beer in reverence to the restaurant’s sixth year.

Taking inspiration from previous lagers featured at the restaurant, Derek, Colette, Holly Robinson, and Jason settled on a unique, double dry-hopped, Italian-style pilsner, which uses noble hops along with German and Italian malted grains. The beer released, this is what the can’s label states, courtesy Bizarre Brewing.

“Our new double dry hopped italian-style pilsner was brewed in collaboration with our friends at sunny hill to celebrate their 6th anniversary! Sunny hill’s 6th was brewed with a blend of German and Italian pilsner malts and hopped in the kettle with spalt select, strisselspalt, and hersbrucker. This celebratory beer was fermented cold with our house lager strain then double dry hopped with mandarina bavaria, spalt select and perle.”

Swinging in and trying a pint from the can, visually “Sunny Hill’s 6th” has a strong, off-white head, resting on a pool of golden that was slightly hazy. Receding slowly, what remained was a soft blanket of lace on the surface.

Swirling and sniffing, notes of lemon zest and grapefruit citrus are front and center, along with notes of woodsiness akin to, some might say, a grassy character, along with floral and peppery notes.

Sipping, you might pick up more of the lemon and grapefruit, along with some sourdough breadiness, cooking herbs, grassy notes that might inspire rich earth, and some sweet candy character. Overall, this release has a medium mouthfeel on the palate, some alcoholic warmth and a lingering sweetness dotted with some of that grassiness and pepper.

Reviewing the can, you might notice the unique artwork of a surfer on a slice of pizza. As both an homage and a unique way to celebrate their anniversary, co-owner Jason Stoneburner sought commissioned Maine artist Ty Williams to create a unique art piece in recognition of Sunny Hill’s anniversary.

A favorite of Stoneburner’s, going back before Sunny Hill’s opening, Jason was unsure his favorite artist would commission a piece for the restaurant. Remaining humble, despite their portfolio which includes the likes of Patagonia, Nike SB, Burton, and Yeti, to name a few, Williams agreed. The result is emblematic of two of Jason’s loves - surfing and pizza.

Released on the anniversary of Sunny Hill’s sixth-year, “Sunny Hill’s 6th” Double Dry Hopped Italian Pilsner pairs great with several of the restaurant’s menu items, including their Snap Pea & Arugula Salad, their “Loyal” pizza (available in round or Detroit-style square) with its mozz, aged provolone, parm cheeses and red sauce, or even a plate of waffle fries. Besides pairing well, it’s great on its own and available at Sunny Hill, Bizarre Brewing, and Sunny Hill’s sister location, Stoneburner.

With an eye towards the future, as they navigate the current state of the world, Jason Stoneburner and Holly Robinson remain filled with positive optimism, as they celebrate their sixth year, supporting and supported by the neighborhood, locals, and producers including Bizarre Brewing. As always, they invite all to stop by either for takeout or to sit-down, for the first time or the 72nd.

Update: We have since corrected the spelling of Bizarre Brewing. It was previously misspelled.

Press Release

YAKIMA, Wash. … Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), a grower-owned hop supplier, is expanding its long-standing sourcing relationship with IGN Quality Hops (IGN), an association of over 100 hop-growing families in Germany’s Hallertau region. This strengthened collaboration between the two grower-led organizations aims to enhance access and supply reliability of German-grown hop varieties for YCH’s brewery customers, streamlining sourcing while maintaining flexibility in YCH’s global network.

Brewers can more easily source IGN’s high-quality German hop varieties through the YCH global supply chain and logistics network, ensuring reliable global availability. Known for their role in classic lager and pilsner styles, these varieties continue to offer the aroma profiles and consistency brewers rely on.

"Our collaboration with IGN is rooted in a shared commitment to quality, innovation, and connecting brewers and growers. Together, we’re expanding access to world-class German hop varieties through YCH’s global network while being grounded in supporting family farms, delivering exceptional quality and creating long-term value for both growers and brewers," said Bryan Pierce, Chief Customer Strategy Officer, Yakima Chief Hops.

As a global supplier of IGN, YCH will be supplying German bitter hops like Herkules and Hallertauer Magnum, German noble and aroma hops like Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Hallertauer Tradition, Saphir, Perle, Spalter Select, and German flavor hops like Callista, Mandarina Bavaria and more.

“IGN and Yakima Chief Hops have built a trusted working relationship over the years, and we are pleased to now deepen it. As two grower-owned organizations, we share a high commitment to quality and the people behind every harvest. This gives our Hallertau growers the global reach they deserve and brewers around the world better access to the finest German hop varieties available,” said Mario Scholz, Managing Director, IGN Quality Hops.

Yakima Chief Hops customers can access IGN varieties via YCH’s regional sales team or can be accessed through a commercial brewer account at yakimachief.com.

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Yakima Chief Hops

YCH is a 100% grower-owned global hop supplier with a mission to connect the world’s finest brewers with family hop farms. Operating for over 30 years, we have become leaders in innovation, quality, and customer service. We are a resource for brewers, providing industry-leading research and products. https://www.yakimachief.com/

Press Release

SEATTLE, WA – Fremont Brewing is unveiling two limited releases for the start of spring: Kush IPA (Chronic IPA), a bold and aromatic hop-forward beer, and Orange & Cacao, a layered barrel-aged cuvée that blends citrus brightness with rich chocolate depth.

Kush IPA (Chronic IPA)

Kush IPA is an unapologetically expressive IPA built for hop lovers seeking depth, aroma, and intensity. Brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Citra Cryo hops, and enhanced with a water-soluble botanical terpene blend, Kush leans into a distinctive profile of grapefruit, citrus peel, and tropical fruit layered over resinous, dank, and grassy notes.

At 7.0% ABV, the beer delivers a subtly sweet entry balanced by moderate bitterness and a mouthwatering finish, all wrapped in a medium-bodied structure that keeps the experience both bold and drinkable.

“Kush is about pushing into that resinous, aromatic space in a way that still feels balanced and intentional,” said Matt Lincoln, Director of Brewing Operations at Fremont Brewing. “It’s expressive, a little wild, and rooted in the kind of hop character that defines great IPAs.”

Kush IPA is available now in limited quantities of 16oz 4-packs.

Orange & Cacao (Barrel-Aged Cuvée)

Orange & Cacao is Fremont’s latest barrel-aged release, a complex cuvée that brings together multiple layers of flavor and process. The beer blends an imperial oatmeal stout brewed with licorice and cinnamon bark, aged in 10-year-old bourbon barrels, with a second imperial stout brewed specifically for the blend. The result is then finished with orange zest and cacao nibs, creating a rich, multidimensional drinking experience.

The final beer delivers chocolate-forward richness balanced by bright citrus lift, with underlying notes of anise and cinnamon that add warmth and intrigue.

At 11.0% ABV, Orange & Cacao pours deep black and opaque, offering a full-bodied, decadent profile suited for slow, intentional drinking.

“This beer is all about layering, building depth through blending, barrel aging, and complementary ingredients,” said Lincoln. “You get the richness of cacao, the brightness of orange, and the structure of a well-built stout, all working together.”

Orange & Cacao is available now in limited release 16 oz. 4-packs.

For more information, visit www.fremontbrewing.com.

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About Fremont Brewing
Fremont Brewing is an award-winning craft brewery founded in 2009 to brew small-batch artisan beers made with the best local ingredients. Fremont Brewing is known for its award-winning IPAs, barrel-aged beers, and non-alcoholic beers. Legions of fans have enjoyed the hospitality of the Urban Beer Gardens in Fremont and Columbia City.
Fremont Brewing…Because Beer Matters!

Press Release

PORTLAND, Ore. — This month, Von Ebert Brewing is marking its 8th Anniversary with two highly anticipated collaboration beers with Other Half Brewing Company from Brooklyn, New York.

“While we make award-winning beer in many styles, it made sense for us to stick with what we’re most known for – Pilsners and IPAs,” said Sam Pecoraro, brewmaster of Von Ebert Brewing. “Von Ebert Brewing is always looking to produce beers ‘where tradition meets evolution’ and so these collaborations are a perfect way to celebrate us doing that for eight years.” 

The 8th Anniversary Pilsner is 5.0% ABV with strawberry, passionfruit and noble notes, and the 8th Anniversary Hazy IPA is 7.0% with mango, peach and grapefruit notes. Both beers will be available at all Von Ebert Brewing locations in draft and 16 oz cans, as well as in some Northwest retailers, restaurants and bars. 

“Known for our Hazy IPAs, we were very excited to partner with Von Ebert Brewing to exchange ideas,” said Sam Richardson, co-owner of Other Half Brewing Company. “And it’s fitting two Sams who swapped coasts would come up with some delicious beers that we hope everyone enjoys.”

Von Ebert Brewing’s N. Mississippi location (825 N. Cook St., Portland) is now home to food truck Tehuana Mexican Cuisine every day of the week, in addition to critically acclaimed, HarBQ on weekends. Beer drinking visitors at all three Von Ebert Brewing locations can purchase 20-ounce steins of gold medal winning Clubhaus Lager for $3 all day, every day. And at the N. Mississippi location, Volatile Substance NW IPA is available for just $5 between noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Von Ebert Brewing also now offers non-alcohol hop sparkling waters, hard seltzers with plans for hard teas and hard punches later this year for those who don’t drink beer.  

The new brewing facility at N. Mississippi allows Von Ebert Brewing production and distribution to go from 4,000 barrels per year to as much as 20,000 barrels per year and it’s more than halfway there adding new offerings. Von Ebert Brewing now sells more of its products in 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans and expanded its distribution throughout Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California and Japan.

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 Von Ebert Brewing was founded in 2018 by Tom M. Cook and Tom S. Cook in Portland, Oregon. Von Ebert Brewing is named after the family matriarch lovingly referred to as “Grandma Ebert.” The quintessential immigrant story, Grandma Ebert came to America from Germany via Ellis Island and relied on her grit and determination to create a successful life for her family here in the states. In that vein, the brewery has displayed those same traits and gained success through numerous World Beer Cup medals: 2025 Gold American Light Lager with Clubhaus, 2023 Gold German-Style Pilsner with Pils and 2024 Bronze Vienna Lager. Our moniker celebrates Grandma’s tenacity and honors our heritage. Von Ebert translates loosely to “House of Ebert” or in full English, “House of the Boar.”

Press Release

Kihei, Hawaii … Maui Brewing Company, Hawaii’s premier beverage company, is launching Maui Light, a crushable, true-to-style light lager crafted for the laid-back moments that define island life. At 4.0% ABV, 110 calories, 6g carbs and low bitterness, Maui Light is crisp, clean, and refreshingly easy to drink.

To celebrate the launch, Maui Brewing Co.'s Kihei taproom will host a Maui Light launch party on Friday, April 10 from 4:00–6:00 p.m., featuring swag giveaways and live music.

“If you’ve had a beer with me lately, you know how excited I am about Maui Light,” said Garrett Marrero, co-founder and CEO of Maui Brewing. “A true American light lager—clean, crisp, and refreshing, with no bitterness and all the drinkability. Our brewers delivered the kind of crushable lager our fans have been asking for. This beer will bring you back to a beach in Hawaii with every sip!”

Maui Light arrives as Maui Brewing Co. continues to see strong momentum across its portfolio, including beer, hard seltzer, RTDs, and non-alcoholic soda. Maui Hard Seltzer is releasing a new Lychee flavor, available now in 6-packs and rolling out in the Maui Hard Seltzer Mix Pack at select Hawaii retailers. A 19.2 oz single of its most popular flavor, Dragon Fruit, will be available in the coming weeks. The company also continues to push into new categories, with Maui Island Spirits Vodka Sodas showing strong sales since their 2025 launch and a non-alcoholic beer coming this summer.

Maui Light is available now in 6-packs and on draft at select Hawaii retailers and restaurants, with 12-packs hitting shelves this fall. Beginning in early April, Maui Light will be served on all Hawaiian Airlines flights.

For more information on Maui Brewing Co., visit MauiBrewing.com or follow @MauiBrewingCo on Facebook and Instagram.

About Maui Brewing Co.
Established in 2005, Maui Brewing Co. is an award-winning brewery dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and quality. Its portfolio of brands includes Maui Brewing Company, Maui Hard Seltzer, Maui Island Spirits, and Kupu Spirits. Based in Kihei, Hawaii, Maui Brewing is the 17th largest craft brewery by volume with distribution in select US markets and countries around the world. 

Press Release

Portland, OR … Westwood Farms has partnered with Living Häus Beer Co. and Pizza Port Brewing Co. to release “Kathy,” a 6.2% ABV India Red Ale brewed with Indie Hops Strata® hops And Yakima Chief Mosaic hops grown at Westwood Farms.

The beer is named in honor of Kathy Coleman, a beloved mother and grandmother in the Coleman family, who played an important role in shaping the family behind Westwood Farms.

“Kathy” opens with notes of orange peel and peach skins, followed by a jammy marmalade character and a finish of toffee and baker’s chocolate. The beer features Strata® and Centennial hops from Indie Hops and Mosaic from Yakima Chief Hops, with both Strata® and Mosaic grown at Westwood Farms.

The collaboration was inspired by a current Pizza Port recipe and reflects a shared connection between the three partners, bringing together hop growing, brewing, and long-standing relationships within the craft beer community all along the West Coast. The timing of the collab was ideal for entry into the Oregon Beer Awards, scheduled for April 2. 

“My grandma Kathy helped shape our family in a lot of ways. She even helped name Westwood Farms,” said Annie Coleman of Westwood Farms. “Naming this beer after her felt like a simple way to honor her lasting influence on her family and the farms, while also celebrating the people behind the hops and the beer.”

“We often name beers after people who matter to us or our collaborators,” said Mat Sandoval, CEO and co-founder of Living Häus Beer Co. “When we heard about Kathy, it immediately felt like the right fit. It’s a beer that reflects both great ingredients and the relationships behind them.”

"We have had a great time working with Living Haus over the last couple of years on collaboration beers,” said Mike Havens, head brewer at Pizza Port Brewing Co. in Solana Beach, Calif.  “Evolving this recipe together made the process really fun, and being able to do that with great hops and great partners made it even better.” 

“Kathy” will be available in 16 oz four-packs and on draft across the Portland Metro Area, Seattle, Southern Oregon, and San Diego, including bars, bottle shops, and the Living Häus and Pizza Port tasting rooms.

The beer is now available on tap at Living Häus, with wider distribution rolling out over the following weeks.

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About Westwood Farms
Westwood Farms was founded by Liz and John Coleman, rooted in seven generations of agricultural tradition in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The farm grows premium crops using regenerative methods and is guided by the values of growth, connection, and balance. Grounded in the philosophy of meliorism—the belief that progress is possible through human effort—Westwood approaches farming with care, collaboration, and a long-term vision. At Westwood, tradition is a foundation, not a boundary, and every season is an opportunity to do better for the land and the people it supports. Learn more at wwfarms.org, or on Instagram at @Westwood_Farms_

About Living Häus Beer Co.
Living Häus Beer Co. is a Portland, Oregon–based brewery focused on producing balanced, approachable beers rooted in traditional styles and thoughtful experimentation. Known for its attention to detail and strong ties to the local beer community, Living Häus regularly collaborates with breweries and partners who share its commitment to quality and craft. Its beers are available at its Portland tasting room and at select retailers and accounts throughout the Pacific Northwest.

About Pizza Port Brewing Co.
Pizza Port Brewing Co. is an award-winning brewery founded in Southern California, known for its innovative beers and longstanding influence in the craft beer industry. With multiple brewpub locations, Pizza Port has built a reputation for combining creative brewing with a laid-back, community-driven approach. The brewery has received numerous accolades at major beer competitions and continues to collaborate with partners across the country to push new ideas in craft brewing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VICTORIA, B.C. — Vancouver Island Brewing (VIB) and the Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Club today announced a new long-term partnership that will bring Vancouver Island Brewing to Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park starting at the Home Opener on June 2, 2026. As part of the agreement, Vancouver Island Brewing is now the Official Craft Beer Partner of the Victoria HarbourCats.

At the heart of the partnership is Islander Lager, VIB’s crisp, easy-drinking lager made for laid-back summer adventures, now set to become a game-day staple at Royal Athletic Park. Fans will also find selections from Vancouver Island Brewing’s core lineup on offer throughout the season, along with the new Islander Fan Zone space, creating even more ways to enjoy the best of the Island at the ballpark.

“Vancouver Island summers are all about community, sunshine, and something cold in your hand,” said Ana Wagner-Chazalon, Marketing Manager at Vancouver Island Brewing. “The HarbourCats are one of those classic summer experiences in Victoria, and we’re proud to partner with them to make local craft beer part of the game-day ritual.”

“We’re always looking for partners who share our love for this community and everything that makes Victoria summers so special,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the Victoria HarbourCats. “Vancouver Island Brewing is as Island as it gets, and having a local craft beer in the hands of our fans on a warm evening at the ballpark just feels right. We can’t wait for Opening Night.”

The Vancouver Island Brewing and HarbourCats partnership is designed to feel local in the best way: familiar, fun, and undeniably Island. The partnership will extend beyond the ballpark, with collaborative programming and storytelling planned throughout the 2026 season. Additional details, including about the new in-park Islander FanZone experience, will be shared closer to the Home Opener on June 2.

About Vancouver Island Brewing
Vancouver Island Brewing has been crafting beer on the Island since 1984, rooted in the community and landscapes that inspire every pour. Vancouver Island Brewing makes award-winning beers, from classic lagers to innovative ales, using quality ingredients and traditional brewing methods inspired by the island it calls home. Learn more at vibrewing.com.

About the Victoria HarbourCats
The Victoria HarbourCats are a member of the West Coast League, a summer collegiate baseball league featuring top NCAA talent from across North America. The HarbourCats play their home games at historic Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C. Learn more at www.harbourcats.com

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Tickets for all 2026 HarbourCats games, as well as the 2026 All-Star Game and Home Run Derby July 14-15, Season Tickets and Flex-Packs are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street just around the corner from the stadium.

Press Release

Every year Chuckanut Brewery, located at the Port of Skagit, brews a beer in celebration of the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley. This year Chuckanut has partnered with neighbor Terramar Brewing & Distilling in Edison to create the Skagit Tulip Ale 2026. Offering a refreshing profile of bright citrus and delicate floral notes, this ale finishes with a subtle hint of pine. The official tapping at Chuckanut’s South Nut Tap Room will take place on March 26 at 4pm. Chuckanut and Terramar brewers will be on hand to answer questions and talk about the making of this year’s Skagit Tulip Ale.

Skagit Tulip Ale uses locally sourced ingredients from Skagit Valley Malting and Linc Malt as well as WA state hops Chinook and HB1134. This crisp and clean finishing ale is a great companion to fish tacos or a bright spring salad. Available on draft in WA state and in cans at your favorite bottle shops and grocery stores.

Chuckanut Brewery brews award winning Lagers and Ales and has won Large Brewery of the Year at WA Beer Awards 2017, 2019 and 2021 and Small Brewery at the GABF 2009 & 2011. The production facility and Tap Room is in Skagit Valley at 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington, WA. Chuckanut welcomes guests of all ages and has indoor and outdoor seating! Check out additional information about Chuckanut at chuckanutbrewery.com.

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